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[ed. note - “With interest in the Washington Nationals’ farm system at a high level, Federal Baseball has begun a series featuring the top 30 prospects in the system as of late last season, according to Baseball America. We will start with No. 30 and work our way to the top over the next few weeks, with one prospect highlighted each weekday.”]
WASHINGTON – One of the few highlights for the Nationals this past season was a two-game sweep at home over the Blue Jays, who were in the thick of the playoff hunt in the America League in the closing weeks of the season.
One key player for the Nationals in that mini-series was catcher Riley Adams, who was acquired from Toronto just a few days earlier in a deal for veteran reliever Brad Hand.
Adams went 5 for 7 and had two doubles and a homer for Washington in those games against his former organization.
“There’s definitely a little more excitement there,” he told reporters in August.
IT WASN’T A PHASE, MOM...
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 18, 2021
TURN THE LIGHTS OFF
RILEY TOUCHED HOME
NAH-NAH NAH-NAH NAH-NAH NAH-NAH@RileyAdams // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/M5NbTXiFPH
“It’s fun to see all the familiar faces, you know, I spent 4-5 years with that organization and built a lot of great relationships with those guys, and a lot of the players I’ve seen throughout the minors and in my brief time up in the big league with those guys. It’s fun to see those guys and it’s definitely fun competing against them and trying to do my best out there, so yeah, when I saw that I was catching Game 1 ... there was definitely a little bit more excitement, just given the circumstances of who we’re playing.”
Adams, who turned 25 in June, is a big part of the future for the Nationals.
He was drafted in the 37th round out of his California high school by the Cubs in 2014, but turned down the chance to sign and attended college at San Diego.
It turned out to be a smart move as he went in the third round three years later to the Blue Jays.
Adams made his Major League debut in 12 games with the Blue Jays in 2021 and hit just .107 in 30 plate appearances.
After the trade, he spent time with both Triple-A Rochester and the Nationals. He played in one game with the Red Wings while appearing in 35 games and hitting .268 in 90 PAs with the Nationals.